


By any other name

by Castalie



Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Backstory, Character Study, Copley Tries Hard to Belong, M/M, Post-Movie, Sense of Identity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-27
Updated: 2020-08-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:21:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26145556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Castalie/pseuds/Castalie
Summary: Of the importance of a name (a short journey from Nicolò di Ginova to Nicky)
Relationships: Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova
Comments: 18
Kudos: 326





	By any other name

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks go to the usual suspects, Linda and GD. You are the best, ladies <3

> _Nicolò di Genova_
> 
> “Nicolò di Genova.” He rests a shaking hand - bloody and dirty - against his chest, slightly bowing his head. He is curious to know the other man’s name, grateful that a first step has been taken to stop the killing - but more than that, Nicolò wants to reassure himself of who he is - who he remains, and will continue to be. He is Nicolò di Genova. He doesn’t understand what is happening to him, doesn’t understand why God is putting him through such an ordeal. He doesn’t know whether he will ever see the gates of Heaven, whether he died here for nothing, whether he killed for nothing. The only thing he knows is his name. If all else has been taken away from him, this - at least - is still _his_.
> 
> “I am Nicolò di Genova,” he says again, a little louder, tears running down his face. 

  
“I don’t agree.”

Copley stopped talking mid-speech, hands hovering over one of the many keyboards on the large desk. He was a bit surprised to have been interrupted. He stopped typing and turned away from the screens where he was showing the four immortals a list of potential names and identities to choose from. God, even in the privacy of his own head, the word ‘immortals’ still sounded completely surreal. He looked at the team in front of him. More specifically, he looked at Nicky; his rigid posture as he sat indicated that he was slightly upset. 

“Sorry?”

Nicky cast a quick glance at his teammates - maybe to make sure he wasn’t overstepping - before he addressed Copley again. “I don’t agree,” he repeated.

Copley stood and stepped closer to the table where most of them were sitting. “I’m just suggesting it might be a good idea to change your names again at this point.”

“I said ‘no’.” Nicky’s tone left no room for interpretation; he wouldn’t budge.

From the corner of his eye, Copley saw Nile’s eyebrows rise. She obviously wasn’t used to Nicky being - not rude exactly, Copley thought, but definitely confrontational. The team often had strong discussions - and sometimes even disagreements - when prepping a mission; it was par for the course when handling such delicate matters. But Nicky’s current opposition felt fundamentally different to Copley, even with a limited knowledge of his personality.

Copley didn’t know what to say. His eyes flickered in Joe’s direction. The man had chosen to sit on the one sofa of their ‘war room’, as Nile called it, and had yet to speak a word. He was leaning back, hands behind his head, comfortably watching their discussion. His posture was casual, but Copley had been trained in interpreting body language and facial expressions; there was no mistaking the sharpness in Joe’s eyes. Copley was sure that if _he_ dared cross a line, Joe would be on his case right away.

As he noticed Copley looking at him, Joe relaxed his stance and raised his hands in the air, shaking his head. “Don’t look at me, Copley; he has his ‘stubborn-Nicky’ face on; there’s nothing I could do, even if I wanted to.” The message was loud and clear - he didn’t, and wouldn’t. “I’d rather have him mad at you than at me, anyway.”

The look Nicky threw him was less than impressed, but Joe simply winked at him in return. 

Copley was somewhat nonplussed. They had been working as a team for only a couple of months, now, and he was still trying to find his way around the group, trying to understand how they thought, how they reacted and interacted. The months of prior surveillance hadn’t told him anything truly important about their everyday dynamics, or about their interpersonal relationships. Even Booker’s reports hadn’t prepared him for actually being around them in such a casual, low-key setting. Besides, he had realised that there was _a lot_ of information that had been missing from said reports. He couldn’t even blame Booker for trying to do what he could to protect some aspects of his friends’ lives, but the lack of intel wasn’t making things easier for Copley. 

Even after a couple of months, the working partnership between the five of them was frequently still awkward, and he felt that it would stay that way for some time. Not that he didn’t deserve their caution but he was trying very hard to make amends and be part of the team, although they didn’t always make it easy for him. 

Still, he was rather surprised at the pseudo-confrontation he was unexpectedly having. So far, along with Nile, Nicky was the one who had been the most laid-back and forgiving around him, usually trying to bring him into their conversations, or diffusing tensions that arose too quickly without anyone really intending it. This time, though, it was like facing a wall. 

He felt it important enough to try again. “I’m just saying now might be a good time for... some adjustments, that’s all.” He dared to push a little further. “It might even be an opportunity to make a more drastic change?” His eyes swept over the group. 

Nicky now seemed even more tense. Instead of replying, he asked a question of his own. “You said you erased all traces of our existence, right?”

Copley nodded, not sure where this was going.

“We can trust your word that you’ve done a thorough job?”

Copley frowned. “I know what I’m doing,” he said, his voice unintentionally taking on a sharper edge. He wasn’t used to having his skills challenged. Whatever mistakes he had made - and the guilt would probably never really fade away - he was damn good at his job. 

As he caught a satisfied smile on Nicky’s lips, he realised _this_ was where it had been going; it was exactly what the other man had been trying to prove. 

“Then we’re back to square one. It’s as if we’d never crossed Merrick’s path - or yours.” Nicky turned to Andy; at this point, it was clear to Copley that he would have no say in the matter. “If there’s no more risk than before, why go through the trouble now?” ‘ _When everything is such a mess already and life is complicated enough as it is_ ,’ Copley couldn’t help but interpret.

Andy silently studied Nicky’s face. Whatever passed between them, Copley knew he had lost the argument. Andy gazed coolly at him. “You heard the man; no change of names yet. We’ll let you know if, and when, we need new identities.”

Nicky was obviously relieved. He spoke to Andy in a language Copley didn’t understand - and wasn’t sure he even recognised. Although the team was respectful enough not to use languages he was unfamiliar with when he was involved in the conversation, they would sometimes slip if they were talking among themselves when Nile wasn’t there and he was otherwise occupied in the room. He was of two minds about recording their exchanges when it happened; out of sheer curiosity, he’d like to find a way to have their discussions translated. He knew he would never do it - if they found out, it would destroy whatever relationship he had with them - but sometimes the impulse was strong.

Another silent discussion occurred, between Nicky and Joe this time. Copley saw Joe raise an eyebrow at Nicky, who now looked slightly embarrassed.

“Thank you, James,” Nicky said, with his customary quiet, polite manner. 

As if Copley had had any say in the whole affair, but he could recognise an olive branch when it was offered to him. “Of course,” he replied, with a slight smile. 

After all, if they were so sure they were safe, who was he to say otherwise? They had been in the business for much longer than he had - understatement of the millennium, really; he had to trust their judgement. Besides, he felt like he had missed something, and didn’t want to look like an ass by insisting.

As Nicky left the room, Joe right behind him, Copley looked at the two women still sitting at the table. “I’m sorry, I feel like I upset Nicky, but I’m not sure why. I don’t understand.”

“You don’t,” Andy agreed. There was no heat to her words, she was simply confirming a fact. “But it’s not your fault,” she added, surprisingly gracious. She saw Nile’s questioning look and shrugged slightly. “I don’t even remember who Andromache the Scythian was - not really - yet that’s how I will always introduce myself. Your name tells a story, Nile, _your_ story, and it’s a difficult thing to leave behind. You’ll understand when it’s your turn.” She stood up. “Ok, enough for today. I’m hungry, wanna eat?” 

Copley declined. He felt that he had some - not apologies to make, as such, but maybe some talking to do with Nicky? He realised he needed to take their immortality into account in a more... sensitive, personal way. If he were honest with himself, so far he’d seen them mainly as weapons, but they were human beings like him... with a varied range of quirks and unique reactions, and much more complicated psyches. If he wanted to build something solid with them, he had to make himself accountable and really _look_ at them as individuals.  


> _Nicolò_
> 
> “What are your names?” the one they know as Quynh asks.
> 
> “You know our names, just like we know yours,” Yusuf tells them, almost challenging. And they do - not because they were freely shared, but because they were taken from them in their dreams.
> 
> Andromache stares at them. Quynh’s hand brushes against hers. There’s something dangerous about them even at rest, yet Nicolò is drawn to them and trusts them instantly. 
> 
> He and Yusuf have talked for hours about the new life they want to carve with those two women, if Andromache and Quynh will only accept them. They have lived together for almost four hundred years, and they don’t _need_ anyone else; Nicolò feels that, as long as he has Yusuf by his side, he is complete. But the idea of being part of a larger family is alluring to both of them. 
> 
> They don’t know what the dreams really mean, whether they are a promise or just a glimpse of what could be. All they know is that they want to stay with these women. They have seen the two warriors travel the world, to lands they have only ever heard of, they have watched them fight side by side, a force to reckon with. They want to learn everything the two of them can teach them.
> 
> It is not just for their own protection; they need a new purpose. This might even be a chance for Nicolò to leave some of his guilt behind, to forget about a part of him of which he has grown ashamed. He is still Nicolò - that is the name by which Yusuf has always known him, he can’t abandon it completely - but he is not the same knight that came to the Holy Land with hatred in his heart. Nicolò has clung to that man for so long, but it is time to let him go. 
> 
> Almost unconsciously, he introduces himself the same way he did to Yusuf, hundreds years ago. He slightly bows his head to the two women and rests a hand against his chest, although this time, his hand doesn’t shake. “Nicolò,” he replies simply. 
> 
> Yusuf shoots him a questioning look. Nicolò smiles at him softly; he will explain later.

  
As he approached the living room, Copley heard Joe and Nicky talking softly, and realised they had already claimed it for themselves. Now he wasn’t sure what to do. He’d looked for them for a reason, but he suspected this wasn’t the right time. Indecision held him immobile; he didn’t want to intrude or eavesdrop, but he didn’t turn around, nor did he make his presence known. He just stopped and kept utterly still, careful not to make a sound. He didn’t really know what he hoped to achieve, but he had a feeling he might get a better idea of what Joe and Nicky thought if he stayed. He told himself that it was a way to move forward and understand the team better. His reasoning didn’t stop him from feeling a bit stupid, but he had done much worse.  


> _Nicolas_
> 
> “Nicolas, is it? Not so big on change, are you, Nicolò?” Andromache gently mocks, but she tries it on for size.
> 
> “Well, I don’t know _Andréa_ , what do you think?” Nicolò answers immediately. 
> 
> “Touché!” she laughs. She holds her hands to him and Yusuf. “Yoseph, Nicolas, nice to meet you both.”

  
Copley could see both of them from his position, but was sure they couldn’t see him in return. At least, he sincerely hoped not; he didn’t want to imagine their reaction if they believed he was spying on them.

He didn’t need to worry; they only had eyes for each other. Copley felt a pang in his chest; their relationship reminded him of his wife, and how the world around them had sometimes felt like it disappeared when she was with him. He clenched his hands and focused on the two men, lest his emotions get the better of him. 

“You don’t have to be afraid, you know that,” Joe was saying, his tone both serious and teasing - and how he managed that was anyone’s guess. Hundreds of years of practice, Copley supposed.

“What do you mean?”

“Come on,” Joe chastised gently. “It’s just a name, Nicolò.”

“I know that. It’s just -” Nicky swiped a hand over his face. “I’m not ready to let go of Joe and Nicky,” he finally said out loud, then winced a little at the admission. “I know how it sounds, I know it’s stupid.”

“Hey, it’s not stupid,” Joe interrupted him. “I’m not ready yet either, ok? And as long as we’re not ready...” Joe took Nicky’s hand and kissed his fingers almost reverently.

“Ok,” Nicky said, a little calmer. Then he narrowed his eyes at Joe suspiciously. “What?”

Joe’s eyes were alight with mischief, his smile wide. “You know what our good friend the Bard would have said?” He took a step closer to Nicky and nuzzled his cheek playfully. “What’s in a name? That which we call a Nicolò, by any other name would smell as sweet.” 

Copley felt a smile tug at his lips at the display and at Nicky’s reaction: he rolled his eyes and made a show of shaking his head exasperatedly, but the soft expression on his face would have told anyone what he really thought of Joe’s declaration. If Joe had no qualms about openly claiming his love for Nicky - and even a few months was enough for Copley to know _that_ , at least - Nicky definitely lapped it up, no matter how hard he protested - or sometimes even mocked Joe.

Copley closed his eyes; he missed Nora so much. He turned to leave the two men alone and give them the privacy they deserved. But before he had moved too far to see or hear them, he saw Joe kiss Nicky gently on the lips. 

Joe’s voice was both serious and loving as he said, “You’ll always be mine, no matter what your name is.”  


> _Nicky_
> 
> “Let’s go for Joseph and Nicholas, then,” Andy agrees. They have stopped pretending they don’t have an irrational attachment to their former identities. If it ever gets dangerous for them, they will do things differently, but as long as it works... 
> 
> “Nick,” Booker tries right away. He isn’t utterly convinced, even though he can’t say why. “Ok, then.” He shrugs. “It’s not as if it’ll be difficult to remember, anyway.”
> 
> “Nick,” Joe says, frowning a little as he tries the shape of the name on his lips for the first time.
> 
> Andy brings their attention back to the matter at hand: new names, new date of birth, new identity. They’ll have time to get used to their new names - or nicknames - later. 
> 
> Turns out, “Nick” doesn’t stick. 
> 
> In the following days, then weeks, whenever Joe addresses him, it’s always “Nicky this” and “Nicky that”: “ _It’s gonna be ok, Nicky,_ “ worry in his voice mixed with deep-seated anger at the ones who had caused him pain. “ _Great shot, Nicky!_ “ both proud and viciously pleased that one less bastard will be around to mess with people’s lives, thanks to him. “ _Thanks for dinner, Nicky,_ “ grateful and fond, or, “ _I **really** want to fuck you right now, Nicky,_“ low and turned on. 
> 
> At first, he thinks the addition is mainly a Joe-thing but, as it happens, Andy and Booker soon follow his lead. Suddenly he has become “Nicky” to everyone.
> 
> Nicolò - Nicky, he corrects himself, a little smile on his lips - has lived long enough to know that, once a name has been adopted by people, it is near impossible to make them change their minds, ‘Nicky’ it is then. He isn’t even complaining; 'Nicky' has a comfortable feel, and in Joe's mouth, it sounds like love. 
> 
> As he raises his glass to Joe’s that night, he wishes Joe and Nicky a long and happy life.


End file.
